Process for the coating of pervious material



Patented Nov. 6, 1928.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN E. OLIVER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HERMETITE CORPORATION, O13 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS FOR THE COATING F PERVIOUS MATERIAL.

Io Drawing.

My invention relates to processes for the treatment of fabrics and other pervious materials and refers particularly to the treatment of such materials with the retention of softness and pliability.

It is frequently desirable to cover or coat,

rvious materials, as for instance Woven fifbrics, with a surface material for purposes of rendering them water proof or fire proof or In for decorative or other purposes.

The coatin materials employed for this purpose may e lacquers, varnishes, cellulose or celluloid compounds and mixtures WhlCh hnpart valuable properties to the materials thus treated.

The employment of these, and similar, coating materials has been considerably limited because of the harshness of the treated results; Attempts have been made to overcome to this objectionable quality by incorporating softening materials with the coating compounds or employing them in the coating process.

"Among the softening agents thus employed :5 are vegetable oils, such as castor oil, their sulphonated products and other oils and greases. Many of these oils are objectionable because of their rancidity, liability to injure the fiber and tendency to break down the coating compound with the jectionable products.

I have found that there are two general reasons for the reduction of the pliability of materials of the character described when they are coated, or covered, with the mentioned and similar coating compounds.

formation of ob- The one reason is the stiffness and non-' pliability of the coating compound itself, which permeates the fabric, whether the ma- 4 terial be passed through a solution of the coating compound or the solution be applied to the ordinary woven or pervious material. This positioning of the coating compound within the fabric and between and around a the fibers results in material having the physical properties of the coating compound to a large degree. This decreased pliability of the fabric is still further enhanced by the fact that the coating compounds are usually 59 of such a nature as to-adhere to the fibers, thus producing a practicallysolid mass of the coating compound with the fibers enclosed therein.

The other general .reason for'the produc- 66 tion of coated goods of less pliability than Application filed Kay 29, 1925. Serial No. 33,635.

the original material is based upon the fact that in many coating operations, and especially in those methods in which the fabric is immersed'in a solution of the coating compound, a proportion of the contained fiber oils, fats and softening agents is removed and in these cases the original pliability can not be regained by attempted replacement of the removed products.

It is evident, therefore, that the logical method for coating fabrics and other pervious materials is the retention of the original oils, the non-saturation of the material with the coating compound and the employment of a pliable coating compound.

The process of my invention possesses all of the last described desirable attributes, overcomes all of the objectionable features incident to previously known methods, and produces a coated material possessing softness and pliability.

All pervious materials have a plurality of openings therethrough, those in woven fab- IlCS being the spaces between the several fibers. These openings have capillary attraction, the degree of capillarity being de pendent upon the size of the openings, and it is through the medium of this capillary at-v traction that the solution of coating compounds is drawn, or carried, into the interior of the fabric. I overcome this objectionable feature by mechanically reducing the size and number of these openings.

This mechanical treatment has two effects upon the material. It reduces the size and number of the-material openings and also produces a much smoother surface to the material, so that the coating compound forms a layer upon the outer face of the material, and practically prevents the formation of imbedded immovable fibers within the coat-- ing compound. I

In order to retain the original softening materials within the pervious material, I coat the material upon one side only and I employ a coating compound which has highpliability.

The following is one example of the process of my invention x I pass the woven fabric through a high pressure friction calender which flattens the loose fibers and reduces the size of the openings. I then treat one side of the fabric with a pliable coating material, as a solution containing 100 parts of-nitrocellulose to over thereto which will'swell the individual elements, or fibers, of the material, reproducing the natural appearance of the material upon the coated slde. For purposes of convenience I refer to these treatments as aftertrea-tments.

Any adapted softenin agent can be emloyed, such as are welf known in adaptaility for such use; for instance, water-soluble, oils or soap, odorless emulsified castor oil, olive oil, cotton-seed oil, or the like, the

c softenin agent being used in its application to the fa ric as a thin solution.

It will thus be seen that by my process, I can economically produce coated pervious materials possessing. great pliability without danger of injuring the material-composing ingredients or elements;

Bycoat1ng com ounds and coating mater1alsm my specl catlon and cla1ms,I mean those products, either singly or in combina-' tion, which can be applied to pervious materials and which become aflixed thereto by the steps of my process.

I do not limit myself to the particular materials, quantities, temperatures or steps of process particularly described, as these are given in order to clearly explain the. process of my invention.

What. I claim is 1., In a process for coating a pervious material, first subjecting said material to me-' chanical treatment whereby the openings or intersticestherein are reduced in size and the fibres areflattened to enhance smoothness of the surface, then applying to the surface of the material a coating compound 'of the class comprising cellulose, celluloid compounds or mixtures, lacquers, varnishes or the ike, and having a high degree of pliability when dried and forming upon the outer face -of the treated material only one layer which does not permeate and embed the. fibres, whereby the formation of embedded immovable fibres within the layer coating is precluded, and then dryin said single-layer surface coating to produ ce the completely finished product. 1 1

2. In a process for coating a pervious material, first subjecting said material to mechanical treatment whereby the openings or interstices therein are reduced in size'and the fibres are flattened to enhance smoothness of the surface, then applying to the surface of only one side of said material a coating compound of the class comprising cellulose, celluloid compounds or mixtures, lac uers, varnishes or thelike, and having a big degree of pliability when dried and forming upon the outer face of the treated material only one layer which does not permeate and embed the fibres, whereby the formation of embedded immovable fibres within the layer coating is precluded, and then drying said single-layer surface-coated side to produce the completely finished product.

3. In a process for coating a pervious material, first appl ing pressure to said material whereby t e openings or interstices therein are reduced 1n size, then applying to the surface of only one side of said pressed material a coating compound of the class comprisin cellulose, celluloid compounds or mixtures, acquers, varnishes or the like, and having a high degree of pliability when dried and forming upon the outer face of the treated material only one layer which does not permeate and embed the fibres, whereby the formation of embedded immovable fibres within the layer coatin is precluded, and then dryin said singleayer surface-coated side to pro uce the completely finished product.

v 4. In a process for coating a pervious material, first subjecting said material to mechanical treatment whereb the openings or interstices therein are need in size and the fibres are flattened to enhance smoothness of the surface, then applying to the surface of one side of said material a solution containing approximately 100 parts of nitrocellulose to over 60 parts of tricresylphosphate and forming a pliable la er coating which does not permeate and em (1 the fibres, and then drymg said coating to produce the finished product. I

5. In a process for coating a pervious material, first applying pressure to said material whereb the openings orintersticestherein are reduce in size, then applying to the surface of one side of said pressed material a solution containing approximately 100 parts ofnitrocellulose to'over 60 parts of trlcresylhosp'hate and forming a pliablelayer coatmg which does not permeate and embed the fibres, and then drying said coatmg to produce the finished product.

6. In a process for coating a perylous material, mechanically reducing the size of the openings in said material, treating one'slde of said material with a coating material of the class comprising cellulose, celluloid compounds or mixtures, lacquers, varnishes or the like, and which will remain pliable in the coating, drying said coating, after-treating the material, and again drying.

7. In a process for coating a pervious material, applying pressure to said material whereby the openings or interstices therein are reduced in size, treating one side of said material with a coating material of the class comprising cellulose, celluloid compounds or mixtures, lacquers, varnishes or the like, and which will remain pliable in the coating, drying said coating, after-treating the material, and again drying.

8. In a process for coating a pervious material, mechanically reducing the size of the openings in said material, treating one side of said material with a solution containing 100 parts of nitrocellulose to over 60 parts of tricresylphosphate, drying said solution, after-treating the material, and again drying.

9. In a process for coating a pervious material, first subjecting said material to me chanical treatment whereby the openings or interstices therein are reduced in size, applying to one face of said treated material a coating material of the class comprising cellulose, celluloid compounds or mixtures, "lacquers, varnishes or the like, and which will remain pliable in the coating, drying said coating and then after-treating the uncoated face of the material with an agent whereby the pliability and natural appearance of the treated and coated material is enhanced.

10. In a process for coating a pervious material, first applying pressure to said material whereby the openings or interstices therein are reduced in size, then applying to one side of said pressed material a coating material of the class comprising cellulose, celluloid compounds or mixtures, lacquers, varnishes or the like, and which will remain pliable in the coating, drying said coating, and then after-treating the uncoated face of the pressed material with an agent whereby the pliability and natural appearance of the treated and coated material is enhanced.- v

11. In a process for coating a pervious material, first subjecting said material to mechanical treatment whereby the openings or interstices therein are reduced iii s1ze, applying to the face of said treated material a coating material of the class comprising cellulose, celluloid compounds or mixtures,

lacquers, varnishes or the like, and which will remain pliable in the coating, and subjecting the coated material to the action of steam or moisture whereby the pliability and natural appearance of the treated and coated mater1al is enhanced. 7

12. In a process for coating a pervious material, first applying pressure to said' material whereby t e openings or interstices therein are reduced in size, then applying to the face of said treatedmaterial a'coating material of the class comprising cellulose, celluloid compounds or mlxtu-res, lacquers, varnishes or the like, and which will remain pliable in the coating and then subjecting the coated material to the action of steam or moisture whereby the pliability and natural appearance of the treated and coated material is enhanced.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

NORMAN E. OLIVER. 

